Cigarettes, cigars and pipes are popular smoking articles that employ tobacco in various forms. Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge, roll or column of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (e.g., in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming a so-called “tobacco rod.” Normally, a cigarette has a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, a filter element comprises plasticized cellulose acetate tow circumscribed by a paper material known as “plug wrap.” Certain cigarettes incorporate a filter element having multiple segments, and one of those segments can comprise activated charcoal particles. Typically, the filter element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a circumscribing wrapping material known as “tipping paper.” It also has become desirable to perforate the tipping material and plug wrap, in order to provide dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air. A cigarette is employed by a smoker by lighting one end thereof and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker then receives mainstream smoke into his/her mouth by drawing on the opposite end (e.g., the filter end) of the cigarette.
Various treatment methods and additives have been proposed for altering the overall character or nature of tobacco materials utilized in tobacco products. For example, additives or treatment processes have been utilized in order to alter the chemistry or sensory properties of the tobacco material, or in the case of smokable tobacco materials, to alter the chemistry or sensory properties of mainstream smoke generated by smoking articles including the tobacco material. See, for example, Leffingwell et al., Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1972), which is incorporated herein by reference. Through the years, various natural and synthetic materials have been proposed as substitutes or extenders for tobacco in a variety of tobacco products. See, for example, the types of materials set forth and referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,720 to Finberg; U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,524 to Shamberger; U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,553 to Carroll; U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,063 to Briskin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,177 to Hind et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,915 to Anderson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,294 to Webster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,742 to Rainer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,228 to Lewinger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,993 to Miano; U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,484 to Keritsis et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,372 to White; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Tobacco also may be enjoyed in a so-called “smokeless” form. Particularly popular smokeless tobacco products are employed by inserting some form of processed tobacco or tobacco-containing formulation into the mouth of the user. Various types of smokeless tobacco products are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,376,586 to Schwartz; U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,917 to Levi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,756 to Pittman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,993 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,269 to Story et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,599 to Tibbetts; U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,907 to Townsend; U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,352 to Sprinkle, III et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,416 to White et al.; US Pat. Appl. Pub. Nos. 2005/0244521 to Strickland et al.; 2008/0196730 to Engstrom et al.; and 2009/0293889 to Kumar et al.; PCT WO 04/095959 to Arnarp et al.; PCT WO 05/063060 to Atchley et al.; PCT WO 05/004480 to Engstrom; PCT WO 05/016036 to Bjorkholm; PCT WO 05/041699 to Quinter et al. and PCT WO 2009/004488 to Crawford et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/638,394, filed Dec. 15, 2009, to Mua et al.; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. See also, for example, the types of smokeless tobacco formulations, ingredients, and processing methodologies set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,953,040 to Atchley et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,601 to Atchley et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
One type of smokeless tobacco product is referred to as “snuff.” Representative types of moist snuff products, commonly referred to as “snus,” are manufactured in Europe, particularly in Sweden, by or through companies such as Swedish Match AB, Fiedler & Lundgren AB, Gustavus AB, Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni A/S, and Rocker Production AB. Snus products available in the U.S.A. have been marketed under the tradenames Camel Snus Frost, Camel Snus Original and Camel Snus Spice by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Representative smokeless tobacco products also have been marketed under the tradenames Oliver Twist by House of Oliver Twist A/S; Copenhagen, Skoal, SkoalDry, Rooster, Red Seal, Husky, and Revel by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.; “taboka” by Philip Morris USA; Levi Garrett, Peachy, Taylor's Pride, Kodiak, Hawken Wintergreen, Grizzly, Dental, Kentucky King, and Mammoth Cave by Conwood Sales Co., L.P.; and Camel Orbs, Camel Sticks, and Camel Strips by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. See also, for example, Bryzgalov et al., 1N1800 Life Cycle Assessment, Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of General Loose and Portion Snus (2005). In addition, certain quality standards associated with snus manufacture have been assembled as a so-called GothiaTek standard.
The sensory attributes of smokeless tobacco can also be enhanced by incorporation of certain flavoring materials. See for example, the types of smokeless tobacco formulations, ingredients, and processing methodologies set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,654 to Williams; U.S. Pat. No. 6,953,040 to Atchley et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,601 to Atchley et al.; US Pat. Appl. Pub. Nos. 2002/0162562 to Williams; 2003/0070687 to Atchley et al.; 2004/0020503 to Williams, 2005/0178398 to Breslin et al.; 2006/0191548 to Strickland et al.; 2007/0062549 to Holton, Jr. et al.; 2007/0186941 to Holton, Jr. et al.; 2007/0186942 to Strickland et al.; 2008/0029110 to Dube et al.; 2008/0029117 to Mua et al.; 2008/0173317 to Robinson et al.; 2008/0209586 to Neilsen et al., and 2009/0065013 to Essen et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It would be desirable to provide an enjoyable form of tobacco product, such as a smokeless tobacco product, and to provide processes for preparing tobacco-containing compositions suitable for use in smokeless tobacco products.